Conceptions of Physical Appearance among Young Adolescents: The Interrelationships among Self-Judged Appearance, Attractiveness Stereotyping, and Sex-Typed Characteristics

Abstract

The relationship among measures of self-ascribed attractiveness, sex-typed characteristics, and attractiveness stereotyping were examined among 665 young adolescents. Normative data on self-ratings of at-tractiveness were presented and sex differences, wherein males rates themselves higher than females, were obtained. Attractiveness was also related to sex-typed characteristics. Masculine and androgynous individuals tended to rate themselves higher in attractiveness than fem-inine and undifferentiated individuals. Attractiveness stereotyping varied as a function of the sex, self-reported attractiveness levels, and sex-typed characteristics of subjects.